A TEACHER has used her personal experience of breast cancer to help raise awareness of the disease among work colleagues and friends.

Paula Wild, who is head of physics at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Blackburn, found a lump in her breast in 2009.

The 50-year-old was told twice that it wasn’t cancerous, but due to the perseverance of her breast care nurse, she underwent a third test, which proved she did have the disease.

She said: “It was New Year’s Eve and I was getting ready to go out when I found the lump.

“I went to the doctors and they sent me straight up to Burnley General Hospital to get it checked out.

“I had three biopsies. The first two came back negative, but it was really my breast care nurse who was sure it was cancer.”

Paula underwent 18 weeks of chemotherapy treatment and eventually had a mastectomy at The Beardwood Hospital in Blackburn.

Now she wants to encourage woman to check themselves more often and to find out more about the disease.

A regular runner before her illness, Paula decided to tackle the 10-mile Breast Cancer Care Pink Ribbonwalk at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire last Saturday.

She finished first in two hours and 25 minutes - raising more than £1,000 for Breast Cancer Care.